Jelly preparation



Fatented @et. 20, 193E UNETEQ TA?E AiaLBEET LEO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS JELLY PREPARATION Ho Drawing.

This invention relates to a jelly preparation and more particularly to a preparation that includes in dry form all of the ingredients necessary to the making of jellies and the like.

Heretofore, in the making of ams and jellies, where pectin is used in solid form, certain precautions have been necessary in connection with the sequence of adding the various ingredients making upthe jams or'jellies. For instance, it is well known that if all the sugar required for the making of the final product is added at the start, before the addition of'the powdered pectin, the subsequently added pectin will not go into solution properly. To avoid this difiiculty, it has been common practice either to dissolve the pectin first before the addition of the sugar or else to add a relatively small proportion of the total amount of sugar required together with the pectin, the sugar when added in such smaller quantities serving as a dispersive agent for the pectin. The pectin, sugar and acid must be in solution before the jell action can take place.

It is an object of this invention to provide a jelly preparation including pectin, a suitable acid and the total requisite amount of sugar, all in dry form and adapted to'be added in a single operation to water or unconcentrated fruit juices.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a jelly preparation comprised of pectin, sugar and a suitable acid treated in such 35 a manner that their respective rates of solubility are in the order named rather than in the reverse order as is normally the case.

Other and further important objectsof this invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.

As previously pointed out, the difficulty of preparing satisfactory jellies when using a dry mixture of pectin, sugar and acid, is due to the fact that both the acid and sugar have a considerably higher rate of solubility than the pectin, Whereas to form a perfect jelly, it is essential that the pectin go'into solution first. Since the jell action takes place at approximately the saturation point of sugar, it becomes necessary to have ap- Application filed March 9, 1929. Serial No. 345,890.

proximately this amount of sugar present,

but due to the fact that pectin will not go into solution in a sugar saturated solution,

it is evident that the pectin must be put into solution before saturation occurs.

I have discovered that by reversing the speed or rate of solution of each of the three dry ingredients, pectin, sugar and acid to the order in which named, the jell action readily takes place. An essential feature of my invention is the retarding of the rate of solution of the acid, in order to give sufficient timefor the pectin and sugar, or at least the major part of the sugar, to go into solution before the acid is dissolved. Of the various ways in which to increase the speed of solution of the pectin, the most practical method appears to be to coat each granule of sugar with a film of pectin in accordance with the method disclosed in my copending application entitled Jelly preparation and a process of making the same, Serial No. 328,069, filed December 22, 1928. According to this process, a fairly concentrated solution of pectin containing from 3 to 5% pectin content is sprayed or 7 atomized into a mass of well agitated sugar, preferably the usual granulated variety. This can be accomplished by blowing a current of heated air upwardly through the mass of sugar crystals with sufficient force to thoroughly agitate the entire mass and cause a constant suspension of a part of the sugar crystals in the ascending air current. At the same time, the pectin solution is sprayed against the air suspended sugar crystals'forming individual coatings of pectin upon them. If the sugar is treated according to this. or

by any other suitable method, to form a film of pectin about each individual sugar granule, the pectin must then go into solution before the sugar.

According to my present invention, the

solubility of the acid is retarded by coating the solid acid particles or crystals with an insoluble substance, such as a paraffin, wax or gum,-haviug a melting point such that the substance will liquefy at the temperatures reached during the jelly making process. The melting of the water insoluble film upon the acid particles permits the Water to come into illl contact with the acid and dissolve'it, but not until after the pectin and most of the sugar have gone into solution. 1 V

The following example will serve to illustrate my method of coating the acid particles or crystals.

Three parts of parafiin are dissolved in 100 parts of ether and to this are added 100 parts of powdered citric acid, or other suitable edible acid in solid form, such as tartaric acid. The other is then removed by evaporation, leaving the paraifin as a thin coating upon the acid crystals. Obviously, since parailin is not soluble in Water, the acid Will not dissolve until the parafiin film is broken.

l'he parafl in coated acid is then combined with thepectin coated sugar in dry form to produce a dry, powderedproduct With the ingredients in requisite proportions for the making of jellies.

In using my dry elly preparation, the mire ture is combined with the liquid, either unconcentrated fruit juices or Water, in a cold state, that is either at room temperatures or a little above. The pectin being in a thin film and presenting a large surface area to the liquid, goes readily into solution and the sugar quickly follows. The liquid mixture is then heated in the usual manner ElIlIl WlI'BR the temperature reaches the melting point temperature for parafdn, the thin paraffin film upon the acid crystals melts and exposes the acid particles to the dissolving action of the Water. The acid accordingly goes into solution after the pectin and most or the sugar are completely dissolved. heating of the jelly mixture may he continued to approximatelyits boiling point, 218 F, or may he to a somewhat lower temperature depending upon the circumstances, namely, the ratio jelly preparation to liquid and, if juices are added, the sugar, pectin and acid content or" the juices. .Trlo hoilng he required if the sugar content is so iciently at the outset to obviate concentrating. lit will he appreciated by those with the art of jelly mak ng that quantities and k v were employed, t e simultaneous audition or the separate ingredients would not result in ,7, owing the inability of dry into sol tion the esence o; solved sugar acid. y coating the acid particles, however, the manner above scribed, the solution or the acid is suhiciently retarded to enable ectin and sugar grointo s ,tion. a will therefore he eciated that such simple procedure made possible in us my jelly results in eonsid a saving; of rue, labor in care, since tnere are no individual weighings or measurings of the various ingredients necessary any particular care required as to the sequence in which the ingreclients are added.

weaves.

By the term pectin as used in this specification and the claims, is meant a substantially pure White pectin. The pectin used in the coating of the sugar-crystals is, of course, in solution form. No definite concentration or strength of pectin is required, but these characteristics must be known in order that Suficient pectin be present to jellify the sugar wih which it is associated. The sugar-pectin mixture may thus be said to be standardized, rather than the pectin, as formerly.

Any of the so called edible acids occurring in solid form may housed in place of cltric acid. @ne of the important features of my invention is the coating of the acid particles or crystals with a moisture proof substance that Will prevent the dissolution of the acid particles at ordinary temperatures but Wlll,

upon the application of heat, leave the acid particles free to dissolve. (Ordinary varieties of paraflin have melting points from 100 F. to over 135 F. and are admirably adapted for the purpose of coating the acid particles. Any paraiiin, Wax, or related substance having the desired characteristics and inciting: point is suitable for my purpose. Obviously, other methods of coating the acid particles ith the parofiin may be employed, but is has seemed simpler merely to dissolve the paraffin in a volatile solvent such as ether and allow .c' the solvent to evaporate and leave the paraisn the coating noon the acid crystals or par ticles.

am aware that numerous details of the process may he varied through a Wide range without departing from the principlesor" this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

claim my invention:

l. A jelly preparation comprising pectin, sugar. and an edible acid in dry form. and the requisite proportions for jelly making,

d acid he coating formed over the a melting point below 218 F. .erehy pectin and sugar dissolve he fers 7 n vdered reporationtor forml comprising pectin, and edible acid in which uies individually coated i the acid. crystals individnareiiin whereby when vvae preparation and heated the old will dissolve therein in ..eparation comprising commiand solid, edible acid, a inoistore-prowl eoa rug;

.vcles t-hereol of a Wax-lithe sub menses nuted pectin, sugar, and an edible acid in solid form, said acid having a coating of pareifin over its individual particles.

5. A jelly preparation comprising coi- 53 nuted pectin, sugar-end citric acid crystals,

said acid crystals having a coating of Wax.

6. A. jelly preparation comprising comminuted pectimeuger, and tartaric acid crystals, said acid crystals having e coating oi 7. A dr preparation for fornii jellies 'and the li e comprising pectin coated grenulated sugar and an edible acid in which the 1 sugar granules are individually coated with 5 the pectin, and the acid crystals are individually coated with e Water insoluble substance having a melting point below 218 F,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

20 Illinois.

\ ALBERT LEO, 

